trait
Americannoun
-
traits
plural
-
a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one's personal nature.
bad traits of character.
- Synonyms:
- property, attribute, mark, peculiarity
-
a pen or pencil stroke.
-
a stroke, touch, or strain, as of some quality.
a trait of pathos; a trait of ready wit.
noun
-
a characteristic feature or quality distinguishing a particular person or thing
-
rare a touch or stroke
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of trait
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French: literally, “something drawn,” from Latin tractus; see tract 1
Explanation
A trait is something about you that makes you "you." When your mother says that you get all your best traits from her, she means you have the same charming smile and the same brilliant mind as she has. In science, trait refers to a characteristic that is caused by genetics. Having green eyes or being shorter than average are traits a person might have. In more general use, a trait is an important part of someone’s personality or appearance. Try to describe your favorite teacher in three words and you’ll probably come up with a list of her essential traits — such as compassionate, calm, and kooky.
Vocabulary lists containing trait
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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The SAT: Language of the Test, List 6
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The New SAT: The Language of the Test
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
For someone who does not value other people’s comfort, it’s hard to frame being agreeable as a valuable trait.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
Her restraint is the commendable trait on which the women hang their devotion.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
"Even more surprising was that each time this trait evolved, it did so through different genes -- even though all of them belong to the same biological system controlling leaf development," says Bieker.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
With Bellingham's strong performances came a swagger - a trait that can divide opinion.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Only one allele had asserted itself in the hybrid, forcing the other variant trait to vanish.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
As a result, there may be less evolutionary pressure favoring traits that help older females produce especially fit offspring.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
In theory, natural selection might be expected to gradually remove traits that produce such disadvantages.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026
The charity Bipolar UK, external said because the two conditions have overlapping traits it is not uncommon for them to be misdiagnosed.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
We can “learn a great deal from Eisenhower’s strategic leadership—particularly, some of the traits he demonstrated,” Mr. Cavanaugh observes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
She was a molecular biologist working on identifying genes associated with complex genetic traits.
From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
